Malfunctioning Parameters
by Keydieh Hurst
Summary: What’s the problem with those parameters when all it takes is a simple malfunction? Set somewhere after "Workforce"...rating will be set T or M with next chapter
1. Kadis kot

**Malfunctioning parameters**

Summary: What's the problem with those parameters when all it takes is a simple malfunction?

* * *

They've had a nice dinner. Well, nice for the matter of company, regarding Kathryn's cooking skills or rather the lack of them. They had started with Seven's regular crew efficiency report. They've had a good laugh. Nothing seemed terribly wrong, but as usual Seven had found flaws in every section of the ship. Still, the Captain and Chakotay agreed that it was nothing to be concerned about. They had a fine crew and everyone had a bad day once in a while.

Eventually they had stopped talking about work, agreed on a time when they'd play a game of velocity, even though Chakotay was perfectly aware that he didn't even stand a chance against Kathryn, and enjoyed the for once silent sentiment of the evening. The third bottle of wine was about to be emptied, but neither one of them noticed until Chakotay attempted to pour Kathryn another glass.

"You're not trying to get me drunk, are you?" she laughed as he lifted the bottle again.

"Doesn't seem like it, or I'd have to get another bottle." he shrugged his shoulders and smiled at her when nothing of the liquid emerged.

"Well..." she gave him a smile back while lifting her glass, a challenging gleam in her eyes.

"Alright, alright...I'll go. Be right back." he said as he stood up to get another bottle of wine from the cargo bay.

But when he reached the door instead of opening it stayed close causing him to slightly bump against it. Kathryn couldn't help but giggle at the sight of him bumping into that door and his grimace at the impact. She quickly sobered up though when she noticed something wrong.

"Janeway to engineering" She tapped her comm badge.

"Engineering here." B'Elanna answere almost immediately.

"B'Elanna, what's wrong, the doors to my quarters won't open?"

"Let me check, captain." Kathryn looked at Chakotay, an exasperated look on her face, but he simply smiled back as he returned to the couch and sat back down.

"Seems as though we have an energy fluctuation, affecting decks one to five. I got it. But it's gonna take a few hours to get that settled. Seems as if everything else is working perfectly fine, it's only the doors."

"Thank you, B'Elanna, Janeway out." she glanced over at Chakotay and grinned, "So it seems we're not getting out of here."

"Seems so, too bad we don't have any of that wine left to fill you up." she raised an eye brow at him but had to chuckle at his comment.

"Guess we have to find something to spend the time with."

"How about a game of Kadis-kot?"

"Kadis-kot?" she asked doubtfully.

"Well, you have any other idea?"

"No." she shrugged her shoulders while getting up and retrieving the board from one of her cabinets. Remembering she had put it there after her last game with Naomi.

"But I have to warn you, I haven't played it in years. " Chakotay called to her from the couch, while he was making room on the table.

"I suppose you shouldn't stand a chance against me then, right?"

"I'm used to that." he laughed as they both set up the board and the stones together.

They sat next to each other on the floor while playing. Chakotay was heavily aware of her closeness and he could clearly smell the fragrance of her perfume. After having made a move she leaned somewhat into him, smiling up at him.

"Your turn." she said in a low voice since everything was quiet except for the calling of their moves every now and then.

Chakotay hesitated making the next move, having trouble concentrating and actually not wanting to loose against her again.

"Oh, come on you slowpoke." she laid her hand on his upper thigh while trying to get him to make the next move. She was tired of always having to wait for him thinking his moves carefully over. "It can't be this hard, just move this stone right here." she leaned over him to show him right where to put the stone, in the process having to steady herself on his thigh with one hand. When he groaned in pain at her weight, she jumped and fell back against him.

"I'm sorry..." she breathed as she looked up at his face from her rather odd position.

"No harm done." he whispered as he lost himself in her eyes. Neither one of them moved though and she became acutely aware of his breath against her skin and his warmth against the material of her uniform.

They had both shed their uniform jackets a while ago and were now only wearing shirts, making it easier for their body heat to penetrate to each other's skin. She stared back into his eyes as he did into hers. Her breathing had quicked and she knew he must have noticed due to their closeness. She could feel his heartbeat quicken just before he leaned down to her and pressed his lips softly against hers. Just a simple touch, just for an instant, before leaving the lingering heat on the sensitive skin of their lips, but it was enough to make them both crave more. Yet he moved back, apology written in his eyes as well as desire.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..." He moved back from her letting her slowly sit up, her eyes never wavering from his face, his lips. She stared at him for several seconds before she got up, taking the Kadis-kot board and putting it back where she got it from in the first place. She had to remember this wasn't an appropriate game for adults, she chastised herself. Yet, she felt in a daze. His warmth seemed to linger on her skin and she couldn't shake it off. She was standing in front of the cabinet in her bedroom for several minutes, her hand travelling her lips, relishing the simple touch.

Chakotay, left behind in the living area, wondered what was taking her so long. He regretted his move. Not emotionally, but as her first officer he should be able to hold his emotions in check. When she didn't return from her bedroom, he got up to get his uniform jacket back on and leave her quarters, but quickly remembering that the doors wouldn't open. _Damn it, B'Elanna._ He thought. _Perfect timing._

He decided to wait and sat down on the couch, his eyes wandering towards the opening to her sleeping area, waiting for her to reappear.

Kathryn shook herself when she noticed she'd been standing there, lost in thought, and Chakotay was sitting in the living area all by himself. What must he been thinking of her. Quickly she returned to him and seeing him sitting on the couch now, rather than on the floor, she let herself down next to him, but with enough space between them so they wouldn't touch.

Chakotay couldn't help but notice the space she had put between them now, his eyes dropping to the ground.

"I'm sorry" he repeated.

"No. Don't be." she answered before she knew she was going to say something.

His head shot up to look at her in confusion. He hadn't expected her to stay calm about this. She had made it clear long ago, that there would never be anything between them except friendship.

When she noticed the confusion written clearly on his features, she leaned into him without even thinking about it. Her lips touched his, this time with more pressure. She wanted to feel it again, just to make sure she wasn't imagining the feelings he had provoked with his first kiss. And she wasn't. Scooping closer, she pressed herself up against him, relishing the feeling of their lips pressed together, her hand coming up to grasp his left arm.

He couldn't believe what she was doing. Was she thinking clearly? Did she have too much of that wine? She couldn't be serious now, could she? Deciding to enjoy her closeness, he let her do as she wished and didn't move, waiting for her to do anything.

When their lips seperated, a light smile appeared on her lips. That crooked smile he loved so much.

"Guess we're even now." she whispered in that hoarse voice of hers, making his thoughts spin and his heart pound harder.

"Is this some new game?" He asked breathless.

"What if it was?" she wondered how he would react, surprised at her own boldness. This went against everything she had always told him, or herself for that matter.

"I'd say, you win." he answered slowly, his eyes boring into hers.

"And..." she started, noticing him holding his breath, "...do you want revenge?" her voice was low, alluring.

"What if I did?" he asked, imitating her earlier question. His hand wandering to her waist pulling her slightly closer.

"I would ask you when." her raspy voice began driving him crazy.

"And if I said now?" she raised her eyebrow at him her mouth opening to answer when her comm badge interrupted them.

"Torres to Janeway." sighing Kathryn activated her comm badge.

"Janeway here."

"We've got it, captain. You should be able to enter your quarters now. Seems Seven tried to get more power to astrometics again, and somehow cut off the power for the doors."

"Thank you B'Elanna." When she looked back at Chakotay, she noticed the grin on his face.

"What?" she asked.

"You should be able to enter your quarters now?" she chuckled as she registered B'Elanna's words.

"Well, I guess it's time I do enter my quarters then."

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Chapter 2, which will probably finish the story, will come right along, if I get to finish it tonight. Please read and review...


	2. Stay

**Chapter 2**

"Or, I'd rather say, it's time I get us that bottle of wine." Chakotay answered though he didn't really want to leave, but admitting that he needed to cool down somewhat.

Attempting to get up, he was held back by her. She had to smile, as he didn't get the hint she was giving him.

"Wait, you didn't get that answer."

"What answer?" He was confused now, B'Elanna's interuption having thrown him out of line, if there ever was one.

"That revenge? I'd say, you have a pretty bad timing, but I don't mind." She laughed, leaning closer into him and kissing him fully now.

"What about those parameters?" he asked hesitantly, remebering her words on New Earth.

"I think we need to redefine them." she whispered, "or maybe we don't need them at all..." she concluded, pulling his head to hers, wanting to feel his lips on hers. Still Chakotay wasn't so sure about what she really wanted. Maybe he was just a substitute.

"What about Jaffen?" he asked bluntly.

She was taken aback by his question, but looking at him realized he meant it seriously, so she leaned back and looked directly at him. Her eyes gleamed with longing, but Chakotay could see the honesty there.

"Jaffen..." she began, "I think he showed me what I wanted, what I needed."

"Do you miss him?" he asked carefully, aware that she may hurt from his absence.

"I guess, I do...but what I meant is, that when I came back here and got my memory back, I realized, that it wasn't Jaffen I fell in love with...it was that feeling of belonging, of being wanted. I thought, when I met him, that he gave me that feeling. I thought, I felt a connection to him, because he gave me that feeling. But being back on Voyager made me realize, that he only provoked this feeling and it reminded me of you. I mean, that feeling felt familiar...that's why I fell for Jaffen. I guess, he reminded me of you, even though I didn't know then." She watched him closely, waiting for his reaction. When he didn't respond right away, she thought she had said to much. Starting to pull away she only said, "Sorry, that was uncalled for."

Standing up quickly she walked over to one of the windows, not daring to look back at Chakotay, but instead staring out into space. She didn't hear him walk up behind her, so she jumped a little bit, when he laid his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him.

"Don't be sorry. That was called for. I asked. I wanted to know. Needed to know that this feeling wasn't just on my side. That I hadn't imagined it. I wanted to know if this is what you want." He said honestly.

"So you don't mind?" she asked turning around in his arms.

"Surely not." He answered pulling her haid towards his, her lips onto his, and her into a warm embrace.

Their kiss quickly heated up, leaving them both breathless, as their hands lovingly explored each other's bodies through the material of their uniforms. Clothes were shed fast. They felt both in a rush, yet they also felt the need to take it slow, enjoy this feeling they had been denied for far too long. Somewhere along the way, she had managed to lead him to her sleeping area, pulling him down on her bed, her skin never breaking contact with his. Both felt as if in a dream, yet neither one of them wanted to wake up. And they both felt like falling, but they didn't care, knowing they'd be caught after all.

She thought she could feel his hands everywhere on her body and soon her skin tingled so much she couldn't figure out any longer where he was touching her right at that moment or where he had touched her just an instant before. His fingers were heaven, his skin, his smell, his moans even, were pure heaven.

When they reached the line of no turning back, the kisses slowed down. Both noticed, but they didn't say a word, couldn't form a single thought that made sense. Chakotay was the first one to pull his senses together.

"Are you scared?" he asked, prepared to stop if she said yes.

She only nodded. "Somewhat." she breathed.

"Me too." He gave back.

"But I'd be damned if a little fright kept me from this." she smiled.

"Right."

So he took her all he way, and she took him all the way. They were climbing and they were falling. She lost control, but for once in her life she didn't mind, she derived pleasure from that state of mind, and the look in his eyes told her he felt the same way.

Afterwards, they were lying in each others arms, relishing in the reverie of that perfect night. He lay spooned against her back, kissing her shoulder and caressing the tender skin of her waist and hip. Her head lay on his arm, her hand held secure in his hand.

Suddenly one of the comm badges interrupted them again. It was Kathryn's.

"Neelix to the captain." Sighing she answered the call, sitting up.

"What is it Neelix? Can't it wait until tomorrow? I was sleeping." She knew that last information was a blunt lie and furthermore plain unnecessary. But she couldn't help herself, she needed to get rid of any interruptions for now.

Lying back down and turning around to face Chakotay, she noticed him tapping against the back of his hand. She had to smile as his gesture.

"You're not dreaming, are you?"

"I guess not, at least I didn't wake up." he kissed her once again.

"Would you want to?" she was still unsure.

"Would you?" he asked back, knowing she knew his answer.

"No" she breathed against his lips before kissing him lightly, her thigh carefully but quickly slipping through his legs, entangling their bodies into each other, pulling closer to the heat of his body.

"Good, because I'm starting to like this new game." he grinned at her.

He noticed her slipping down somewhat, getting comfortable against him, this way letting him know, he would stay the night and not return to his quarters. Her head was now on his shoulder, her breath tickling his skin, her arm stretched across his chest.

"Do I win?" she asked sleepily, not being able to suppress a yawn, but also too tired to hide it, her eyes already closing, her eyelashes fluttering against his skin.

"I'd say we're even." he mumbled. He couldn't believe that after years all it had taken was a simple malfunction to have her here in his arms. So he watched her slip into a deep, peaceful slumber and closed his eyes as well, breathing her smell as he too drifted off to sleep.

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I do not intent on continuing this. It's meant to be a stand alone. BTW; my first VOY FF. Reviews are appreciated. :)


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